Bloodtype Online

    This rather eclectic and long (clocks in at over 2 hours and 40 minutes) western is unique in the way that it lays out the end of Jesse James life.  Unlike most westerns that continue to portray the outlaws as flawed but heroic figures this movie shows James and his assassin as the flawed and complicated men that they were.  Basically if you don’t already know it Robert Ford was a young man that came along towards the end of the James boys’ career as outlaws.  He idolized Jesse James and wanted to join his gang.  But after spending a couple of years in and around the younger James brother he was either convinced or wanted to become famous by being the man that arrested or killed him.  When the situation presented itself he took the opportunity to shoot James in the back.  Some stories say that it was a sneaky attack and some say that James was tired of his life and wanted to die.   

    This is hands down one of the best movies that I’ve seen so far this year and I’m shocked that it didn’t get more consideration at the Oscars.  The story is solid and manages to grab and hold the audiences attention for the entire movie, which as I’ve already stated is more than 2 hours and 40 minutes long.  The movie doesn’t have a single slow spot.  While at it’s core the movie is about Jesse James and Robert Ford each scene, situation, and character are all important to getting the two characters together in the room where James is shot down.  The script is filled with characters that speak and act like real human beings and not stereotypical Western characters.  Not only that but both Jesse James and Robert Ford are written as flawed, but also likeable characters at times.  And while his motives may be questioned as a viewer I could understand why Ford acted the way he did.  Honestly this has to be one of the finest scripts that I’ve ever seen filmed and I just can’t say enough about it. 

    But even the best script can be ruined by bad performances.  Luckily the cast here is up to the material and does a wonderful job.  I could go on and on about the supporting cast, but again this film is really about the characters of James and Ford.  Brad Pitt shows acting chops like I never knew he possessed in the role of James. Pitt projects just the right amount of menace when the script calls for it and then follows it up with moments of kindness that are just as believable.  Whether historically accurate or not the movie portrays James as a man on the edge of losing himself to the violence that has dominated most of his life.  Juxtaposed against this character is the more innocent Robert Ford.  Ford is portrayed as a little naive towards the reality of the crimes and murders that James has committed.  He suffers from hero worship and starts off with James as his hero.  But as the movie goes on he realizes the man and his flaws and begins to fear what he is capable of.  By the end of the movie several situations have convinced Ford that James is going to kill him and his brother.  Casey Affleck’s performance is dead on and perfect as the characters slowly starts to realize the kind of man his hero is.  Affleck does a fine job of portraying the character’s inner struggle to come to terms with what he must do to protect himself and his brothers.  And after the assassination that makes him famous you can see that he embraces the notoriety while at the same time carrying the guilt around with him.  Without these two wonderful performances the movie simply wouldn’t have worked. 

    If the story and performances weren’t enough this is simply one of the most beautiful movies that I’ve ever seen.  Some of my favorite westerns have always paid close attention to the surroundings and have possessed some of the finest images ever put on film.  But none of them have done a better job at capturing the wonderful outdoor scenes any better than this film does.  Towards the beginning of the movie there are a couple of shots that I think I will always remember for how beautifully the camera captured the shadows and how amazing the lighting choices were.  Yeah I know I’m starting to sound like a film school nerd, but when I see a film like this I can see why some people consider cinematography an art form.   

    So if you can’t already tell I love this movie.  I highly recommend that everyone go out and give this one at least a rental.  Personally I can see myself watching this one again, in spite of the movies length, so I’m glad that I own it. 

****

-John "El Juan" Shatzer